Brazing machine



March 23, 1954 A. E. HEIDENREICH ET AL BRAZING MACHINE Filed April 6, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet l March 23, 1954 A. E. HEIDE NREICH ET AL BRAZING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 6, 1950 a n i W5 Wm .wm Wm ma $0 QN a "m NN w M W SN A Q0 i March 1954 A. E. HEIDENREICH ET AL 2,672,838

BRAZING MACHINE Filed April 6, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Mar. 23, 1954 of Illinois BRAZING MACHINE Albert E. Heidenreich, Maywood, and Robert 0.

Hoffman, Chicago, Ill., assignors to Victor Adding Machine 00., Chicago, I1l.,- a corporation Application April 6, 1950, Serial No. 154,316

r 6 Claims. (c1.11s 59) This invention relates to power driven appa ratus for feeding brazing wire. Such apparatus may form a part of an automatic brazing machine.

f An objector" this invention is to provide a brazing wire feeder which advances brazing wire as rapidly as it is melted during its application to a workpiece being brazed. gAfurthcr object is to provide a brazing wire feeder having means for adjustment of the wire feeding force. A further object is to provide a wire feeder which will supply the desired amount of wire for completing each brazing operation. A further object is to provide a wire feeder which-issimple in construction and which will give reliable and eflicient service.

Further objects and advantages, together with the basic principles of this invention, will become apparent from the following description of an illustrative embodiment taken with reference to *thedrawings, in which:

mFig. '1 is an elevational view ofan automatic brazing machine which illustrates the principles "of this invention;

-" Fig. I-a is a fragmentary plan view of the brazing-machine; f

Fig.2 is a plan view of a wire feeder forming a part ofthe brazing machine j Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are elevational sectional view of the wire feeder taken on the p1arie 3-3 of Fig; 2 showing the wire'feeder in three different stages of operation;- i

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the plane -li-"JioflF-igzB;

Fig. '7 is a sectional view taken onthe plane 1- -1 of Fig 3; j

i "Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on the plane 8-43 of Fig. 3 and Figs. 9 and 10 are perspective views of the jaws "of wire grips forming parts of the illustrative embodiment.

InFig. 1 a wire feeding mechanism I 0, mounted "ohfan inclined'a'ngle'on a stand ll, is arranged to cooperate withtheother parts of an automatic niachine'for brazing together a hub I 2 and an net 13 ofa workpiece [4, Four workpieces l4 are firmly held on a rotary work feeding turntable 15" by permanent magnet chucks 16 which permit rapidplacement and removalof the work pieces by almachine operator. An induction heat i'g coil 18; excited "by conventio a-Jeanine- *[8 induces high frequency electric currents into the workpiece for heating the workpiece to a brazing temperature. A smaller preheatingcoil or loo i9 (Fig. l-a), which may be connected in series with the heating coil i8, is positioned adjacent a second workpiece it to preheat the second workpiece preparatory to the brazing operation, A brazing flux is applied to the workpieces Hi before they are heated by the preheating coil [9. The preheating coil 19 heats the workpieces to a relatively low temperature to drive off the solvent or mobile carrier of the flux and thereby to. reduce scaling, which may be'excessive if the workpieces are heated rapidly to the higher brazing temperature by the heating coil i 8 without preheating.

Brazin wire 26 is fed from a reel 22 over a pulley 2i; and through the wire feeding mechanism iii to the workpiece I4 in brazing position. The wire 28 is melted by heat from the workpiece i l as well as heat produced by electric currents induced in the wire 2i! by the heating coil 18, and molten brazing alloy from the wire 20 flows into the joint between the hub 12 and the arm l3 by capillary action.

A mechanism 25 is provided for rotating the rotary work feeder l5 by means of a compressed air-operated reciprocating motor having a piston rod '28 extendin from an air cylinder 30. The cylinder 30 is connected with an outlet 32 of a source of air pressure (not shown) by an adjustable electric timer valve mechanism 34, The wire feeding apparatus Ill is connected with the outlet 32 of the pressure source through a pressure reducer 36 and an operating valve 38 positioned for operation by a shoulder 39 on the piston rod 28.

At intervals which may be adjusted by the operator; air under pressure, supplied to the air'cylinder 30 through the electric timer 34, moves the piston rod 28 to the right and indexes the rotary work feeder l5 so as to bring a new workpiece I4 into brazing position. Movement of the piston rod 28 to the right opens the wire feeder valve 38 and thus supplies air under pressure to the wire feedingmechanism In. As disclosed below in detail, the wire feeding mechanism I 0 feeds a measured amount of brazing wire 20 to the workpiece [4 as fast as the wire 20 is melted.

The wire feeder ill, with particular reference to Figs. 2 and 3, comprises an air cylinder having an air inlet fitting 52, a piston 54 and'a piston rod 56. A piston rod extension 58, which is pinned to the piston rod 56, supports a crossarm 60. Two return springs 62 are stretched between the ends of the cross-arm 60 and an end plate 64 secured to the cylinder 58. The piston rod extension 58 is slidably sup-ported by an upstanding lug 66 forming a part of a slide 68 which is slidable in a slideway comprising a bed plate 18 and two overhangin side bars 12 (Figs. '7 and 8). Two tension springs 14 are stretched between the cross-arm 60 and two dowels 16 mounted in the slide 68. Bolts 18 and 82, threaded through a vertical head plate 88 (Fig. 6) secured to the bed I0, provide adjustable forward stops for the piston rod extension 58 and the slide 68, respectively, and are adapted to be locked in adjusted positions by lock nuts 19 and 83.

A wire grip or chuck 94 is secured to the underside of the slide 68, while a similar chuck or grip 88 is secured to the underside of the bed plate 10.

A wire guide or nozzle 88 is mountedthrough the head plate 80. As shown, the wire openings in the chucks 84 and 88 and the guide 88 are in alignment. Each of the chucks 84 and 86 includes a stationary tubular jaw 90, best illustrated in Fig. 10, and a cam-shaped jaw 92, best illustrated .in Fig. 9. The cam-shaped jaws 92 are rotatably mounted in the bodies of the grips 84, 86 by pivot pins 94 and are urged into engagement with the stationary jaws 99, by compression springs 99 (Figs. 3 and '7) r The front portion of each of the stationary fjaws 90 is tubular to provide a guide for the wire 28. The rear portion of the jaw 98 is semitubular to provide a grooved gri ping face or surface 9I'(Fig.

The gripping face 93 of the pivoted jaw 92 (Fig. 9) is rooved for secure gripping of the wire '20. The face 93 is not concentric with the pivot 94, but th forward portion of the face 93 is' lfartherfrom the pivot 94 than the rear portion of the face 93. Consequently, clockwise (Fig. 3)

tilting of the pivoted jaw 92 tightens the grip on I the wire28 and counterclockwise tilting loosens the grip so that the wire 29 may slide between ,the jaws 98 and 92. I

Figs. 2-5 illustrate three stages in the operation of the wire feeder Hi. In Figs. 2 and 3 the feeder is shown at rest, the piston 52, piston rod extensionf58, cross-arm 68, and slide 68 being held in rightward positions by the return springs 62. The slide springs 14 hold the slide lug 66 against the cross-arm 60. i

When air under pressure is supplied to the inlet 52 of the cylinder 50,the piston. immediatelyis pushed to the left against the adjustable stop 18, and the return springs 62 and the slide springs Hare stretched, as illustrated in Fig. 4. The slide operatin springs 14 tend to move the slide 68 to the left, and the wire grip 84 secured tothe slide 68 may advance the-wire a short distance until it engages the workpiece N (Fig. 1) As the wire 28 is melted by the heat developed in the workpiece M, the slide springs 14 move the slide 68 forward until the adjustable stop 82 is reached, as illustrated'in Fig. 5. Thus .theposition of the stop bolt 82 determines the amount of wire 20 fed to the workpiece M for the brazing operation. The position of the other adjustable stop 18 determines the length of the stroke Qf'the piston rod extension 58 an hence determinesthe wire feeding force exerted by the slide springs 14.

,f I'he wire grip 84 secured to the slide 68 grips thelwire 20 when the slid 68 moves to the left, because the friction of the brazing wire .29 on the camrning surface 93 of the pivoted. jaw 92 and theforce of the compression spring 96 com- 4 bine to urge the cam jaw 92 clockwise into gripping engagement with the wire 28.

The wire grip 88 secured to th bed plate 18 permits forward motion of the wire 20 because the friction of the wire on the face 93 of the pivoted jaw 92 rotate the jaw 92 counterclockwise out of gripping engagement with the wire.

After the lapse of sumcienttimo for the brazing operation, the electric timer 34 (Fig. 1) releases the air pressure on the table indexing air motor cylinder 30 and permits the piston 28 to return leftward to the position illustrated in Fig. .1 out of engagement with the wire feeder valve 38. The consequent release of the air pressure on the wire feeder piston 54 permit the return springs 62110 return the piston 54 to the extreme right (Fig. 2). The cross-arm 68 engages the lug Eli on the slide 68 and returns the slide 68 'rightwardly. On the return stroke of the slide 68 the wire grip 84 secured to the slide 68 slips freely over the wire 20 while the stationary wire grip 86 prevents reverse movement of the Wire.

During the forward stroke of the reciprocating cross-arm 68, wire feeding force is applied to the wire grip 84 by yieldable means such as the springs 14 so that the wire grip 84 advances only as fast as the wire 29 is melted. By adjustment of the position of the stop bolt 18 the force pushing the end of the wire 29 a ainst the workpiece I4 is made so small that there isno tendency $0 the wire 20 to bend or buckle.

The power driven air cylinder 58, together with the piston 54, piston rod -56, piston extension. cross-arm 60 and returnspring 62, provide motor means for stressing the yieldablegslide operating springs 14. I Other equivalent power driven means may be employed if desired.

The practicability and reliability of the invention will be apparent to thoseskilledin the art. Of course, the basic principle of this invention may be applied by those skilled in'the art .-to produce embodiments of the invention which differ in their details from the specific embodiment described herein. Therefore, the details of the embodiment described herein should not be construed to limit the scope of this invention except as set forth in the appended claima whieh are a complete and concise statement of th -scope of this invention and are intended. to include such equivalents and modifications.

We claim:

1. In a machine utilizing brazing'wire braac a heated workpiece, the combination of means including a movable wire grip to feed the wir along a predetermined path, a normally-stationary work holder to support the workpiece inthe path of the wire, stationary means supporting the wire grip for reciprocating-movement toward and away from the workpiece, a spring engaging the wire grip to move the latter, motive means enga ing the Spr ng to stress the latter intermittently for moving th wire grip toward the-workpiece and holding the end of the wire against: the workpiece, the grip advancing the wire as rapidly as it is melted, means to return the wire-gripgaftcr the stress on the spring isrelaxed, and means engageable with the wire to hold .itstationary during the return movement of the wire grip.

.2. In a machine utilizing brazing wireto braze a heatedworkpiece, the combination of meansineluding a movable wire grip to feed the wire along a predetermined path, a normally stationary workholder tosupport the workpieeeiin the path of the wire, stationary means supporting the wire grip forreciprocatingmovemaattoward and away from the workpiece, a reciprocable member, motive means to advance and retract the reciprocable member, a spring connecting the reciprocable member to the wire grip for moving the latter toward the workpiece when the member is advanced by the motive means, the grip advancing the wire as rapidly as it is melted, means to move the grip away from the workpiece when the member is retracted, and means to hold the wire against retraction.

3. In a machine utilizing brazing wire to braze a heated workpiece, the combination of means including a movable wire grip to feed the wire along a predetermined path, a normally stationary work holder to support the workpiece in the path of the wire, stationary means supporting the wire grip for reciprocating movement toward and away from the workpiece, a reciprocable member, motive means to advance and retract the reciprocable member, a spring connecting the reciprocable member to the wire grip for moving the latter toward the workpiece when the member is advanced by the motive means, the grip advancing the wire as rapidly as it is melted, a pair of interengageable parts on the wire grip and the movable member to retract the grip when the member is retracted, and means to hold the wire against retraction.

4. In a machine utilizing brazing wire to braze a heated workpiece, the combination of means including a movable wire grip to feed the wire along a predetermined path, a normally stationary work holder to support the workpiece in the path of the wire, stationary means supporting the wire grip for reciprocating movement toward and away from the workpiece, a reciprocable member, motive means to advance and retract the reciprocable member, a spring connecting the reciprocable member to the wire grip for moving the latter toward the workpiece when the member is advanced by the motive means, the grip advancing the wire as rapidly as it is melted, an adjustable stop limiting the travel of the grip to determine the amount of wire fed by the grip, an adjustable stop limiting the travel of the movable member to determine the amount of force exerted by the spring on the wire grip, means to return the wire grip when the member is retracted, and means to hold the wire against movement away from the workpiece.

5. In a machine utilizing brazing wire to braze a heated workpiece, a wire guideto direct the wire along a predetermined path, a normally stationary work holder to suport the workpiece in the path of the wire, a movable wire grip to feed the wire along the guide, stationary means supporting the wire grip for reciprocating movement toward and away from the workpiece, a movable member, stationary means supporting the member for reciprocating movement generally parallel with the direction of movement of the wire grip, pneumatically operated means to advance the movable member, a return spring to retract the member, an operating spring connecting the movable member to the wire grip for moving the latter toward the workpiece when the member is advanced, the wire grip advancing the wire as rapidly as it is melted, an adjustable stop limiting the travel of the wire grip to determine the amount of wire fed by "the grip, an adjustable stop limiting the travel of the movable member to determine the amount of force exerted by the operating spring on the wire grip, a pair of interengageable parts respectively carried on the movable member and the wire grip to retract the grip when the movable member is retracted by the return spring, and means to hold the wire against movement away from the workpiece.

6. The combination set forth in claim 1, in which an adjustable stationary stop is provided to limit the extent of movement of the motive means toward the workpiece.

ALBERT E. HEIDENREICH. ROBERT C. HOFFMAN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 21,991 Walker Dec. 30, 1941 1,309,107 Seidel July 8, 1919 1,651,399 Madden Dec. 6, 1927 1,951,441 Rock Mar. 20, 1934 1,951,545 Carson Mar. 20, 1934 1,960,066 Rippl May 22, 1934 2,291,065 Walker July 28, 1942 2,396,799 McCully Mar. 19, 1946 2,433,514 Hughey Dec. 30, 1947 2,523,236 Reynoldson Sept. 19, 1950 2,628,585 Cowles Sept. 19, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 496,395 Great Britain Nov. 30, 1938 

